Frank Castle is officially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is wasting no time finding ways to incorporate the Punisher. The anti-hero already appeared in the first season of Daredevil: Born Again, helping the titular hero deal with rogue cops around the city who use his logo without permission. Teaming up with Daredevil lands Castle in a cell that Wilson Fisk owns, but he’s not in it for long. He tricks a cop into letting him out, and while it would make sense for him to regroup with his red-loving friend, he’s going to have bigger fish to fry in the near future.
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Jon Bernthal is set to appear as Castle in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and rumors claim that his character is going to have his work cut out for him because there’s a Savage Hulk on the loose in New York City. Before Castle can pick a fight with Bruce Banner’s alter ego, though, he’s going to have to finish working on his first solo project since 2019. Punisher will receive his own special from Marvel Studios that’s sure to explain where he goes after escaping Kingpin’s forces.
The special is currently filming in NYC, which isn’t all that surprising, since Born Again also sets up its cameras in the city. The two projects are unlikely to share shooting locations, but that doesn’t mean Punisher isn’t going to visit a notable location from the Defenders Saga. In fact, new set photos reveal that the project is filming scenes at a spot very near and dear to Iron Fist’s heart.
Punisher’s best scene in Daredevil comes in a cemetery, when he tells Matt Murdock about his family and their deaths. It’s a heartbreaking moment that humanizes the anti-hero ahead of his solo show. While the Punisher special isn’t taking Castle to the spot where he poured his heart out, Greenwood Cemetery is still notable because it’s the spot where Danny Rand’s parents are buried (via The Direct). Danny visits their graves in Iron Fist, which is tough for him because his name is right next to theirs, as he was presumed dead as a child after a plane crash.
There have been virtually no rumors about Finn Jones’ hero making the jump to the MCU, and it’s easy to understand why. His solo show was panned upon release, and the character didn’t get much better when he appeared in The Defenders. If Rand is going to return to the MCU, though, the Punisher special is as good a spot as any for it to happen.
Daredevil: Born Again Isn’t the Only MCU Project That Can Have Defenders Connections
The MCU pushes all of its Netflix chips to the center of the table in Born Again, referencing the events of Daredevil after ignoring them in Murdock and Fisk’s previous appearances. Karen Page and Foggy Nelson are back (for one episode at least), and Bullseye continues to make life difficult for his arch-enemy. However, things go to another level when Frank is around, so Marvel Studios is going back to the well in Season 2 by bringing Jessica Jones into the fold. She’s going to help Daredevil fight back against Fisk’s Anti-Vigilante Task Force, but the battle could happen on multiple fronts.
Once Castle is in the clear, he’s probably going to want to get back at his enemies. The best way to do that is to hunt down the remaining members of the AVTF and make them pay. Well, New York is home to plenty of vigilantes, so, like Daredevil, Castle could cross paths with another hero and agree to partner up for a brief time. If Spider-Man is willing to look past Punisher’s unsavory behavior, Iron Fist should be able to as well.
Why do you think the Punisher special is filming at Greenwood Cemetery? Would you like to see Danny Rand return to the MCU? Let us know in the comments below!
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